About the Weather Processing Tool

This tool supports objective, data-driven weather risk analysis for HIPP/Defence marine projects using NOAA Wave Watch 3 data.

Overview

The Weather Processing Tool quantifies project-specific weather downtime using historical wave data from the NOAA Wave Watch 3 (WW3) database. It is purpose-built to support vessel selection, risk analysis, and project scheduling for HydroScheme Industry Partnership Program (HIPP) and Defence hydrographic survey tenders.

Key Features

Automated extraction and analysis of significant wave height data (NOAA WW3 global hindcast).
Project and vessel-specific configuration via web form or CLI.
Rapid quantification of operational, marginal, and downtime windows.
Interactive graphical output (stackplots, summary tables) ready for proposal inclusion.
Web interface (Django) and advanced command-line (CLI) support.
Live progress tracking and asynchronous processing.

Web Application Usage

Navigate to Weather Processing in the main menu.
Complete all form fields:
- Project Name, Vessel Name, Location Name
- Project Start Date (YYYY-MM-DD) and Duration (days)
- Latitude and Longitude (decimal degrees, ocean only)
- Operational Limit and Marginal Limit (in metres)
Click Apply. The system will show a progress bar and status messages.
On completion, results are presented below the form, including:
- Interactive monthly stackplot of operational/marginal/downtime windows
- Summary tables and an executive summary for direct proposal use

Tip: If you see "No weather data available", check that the coordinates are in the ocean and that NOAA WW3 data files are available on the server.

Command-Line Usage

Advanced users may run batch analyses via command line:


python weatherprocessing.py -i /path/to/ww3_data \
    -x 147.5 -y -40.0 \
    -o 2.5 -m 3.0 \
    -l "Flinders Island" -v "Offshore Surveyor"

-i: Input folder with WW3 NetCDF files
-x, -y: Longitude, Latitude
-o, -m: Operational & Marginal limits (m)
-l: Location Name; -v: Vessel Name

Technical Reference

Data Source: NOAA Wave Watch 3 (WW3), 10+ years, 30' resolution
Analysis Method: Monthly distribution of significant wave height at user-specified gridpoint
Output: Interactive HTML report, summary table, raw data table (CSV exportable)
Libraries: xarray, pandas, plotly, matplotlib, Django, numpy
Reference: NOAA NCEP WaveWatch III

Troubleshooting & Support

If the tool returns "No weather data", check that your coordinates are offshore and that WW3 data is installed.
If progress does not update, confirm the Django background worker is running (python manage.py qcluster).
For technical support or to request new features, contact your system administrator.

Compliance Statement

This tool is compliant with SI1045 Annex A vessel operability requirements and is suitable for inclusion in formal HIPP/Defence tender submissions.
All outputs are traceable, reproducible, and audit-ready.